EDMONTON, AB - NOVEMBER 15: Tomas Hertl #48 of the San Jose Sharks celebrates after scoring the Shark's second goal against the Edmonton Oilers during an NHL game at Rexall Place on November 15, 2013 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)

The Sharks have learned the value of jumping on a team early, especially when it is a club struggling as badly as the Edmonton Oilers.

Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist, and Joe Thornton helped set up two goals as the Sharks earned a 3-1 victory Friday night to stretch their winning streak to three games and extend the Oilers' skid to five.

Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl scored in the first period for the Sharks (13-2-5), who moved one point behind Pacific Division-leading Anaheim. San Jose has one game remaining on a five-game trip, Sunday at Chicago.

The Sharks won at Vancouver in overtime on Thursday.

"Coming off back-to-back nights, you want to get off to a good lead," Thornton said. "We were able to do that with two early first ones. We just kind of rolled on after that. It is always nice to get a 2-0 lead like that when you are playing back to back."

The Sharks had been 0-1-4 in the five games before their winning streak.

"We feel good," Thornton said. "We weren't playing bad, even if we had a few extra-time losses. We've got points in nine of our 10 last games. We have a good team in here."

Sharks coach Todd McLellan said Thornton is playing a big role in the club's turnaround.

"We know he can make plays and run the offense and all of that type of stuff, but it is the backcheck, the tracking, the defensive play, the face-offs and shot blocking that really fulfills his game," McLellan said.

Nail Yakupov had the goal for the Oilers (4-15-2), who are 1-9-1 in their last 11 games. Edmonton has been outscored 23-3 in its past six home contests - all losses.